


Grey

by Fable



Series: Merlin [13]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Humour, M/M, Quest, Romance, fledgling relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-09-12
Packaged: 2017-12-26 09:24:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fable/pseuds/Fable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The grey sorcerer Brume cast a sickness curse on Camelot - revenge for the death of his son. With Merlin, Gwaine and Leon in tow Arthur heads off to defeat him. Arthur succumbs to the sickness himself and – you know the score – Merlin saves the day and Arthur... But, this time he is handsomely rewarded for his efforts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grey

   Merlin felt Arthur slip out of his bed and heard him grumble as his bare feet struck the cold stone floor. He opened one eye and watched him rummage around in the dimly-lit chamber for his clothes. The moon was still high in the sky and Merlin’s room had a distinct chill to it. He shivered under the tangle of bedcovers.

   ‘Are you going?’ Merlin adored these snatched moments of time. Time when they could be Arthur and Merlin not master and servant. He could safely say he lived for them. It had been six months now, six months since their first faltering steps into a whole new world. He never wanted it to end.

   ‘You’re taking up the whole bed. You’re all long limbed and sprawly.’ Arthur reached over and gave Merlin a good-natured shove.

   Merlin laughed, ‘is sprawly even a word?’

   ‘It is now.’ Arthur slipped on his newly-found breeches and said ‘ta da,’ as he discovered his tunic in a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed.

   Merlin reached out and stroked his fingers across Arthur’s chest, pausing only briefly to thumb his nipples, before moving down the undulations of his ribs. Arthur emitted a soft noise and his body quivered. It never failed to surprise Merlin how his touch could provoke such reactions in the Prince.

   ‘Stay.’ he purred.

   Arthur leaned over and gave him a tender kiss, ‘I can’t, I have to be up early… and you’re all sprawly.’

   Merlin slipped a hand around Arthur’s neck and pulled him down. He wrapped his long naked limbs around him like tying rope around a parcel.

   Arthur wriggled out of the embrace and backed off the bed, ‘Merlin, you are incorrigible.’

   ‘Are you making up words again?’

   ‘No!’ Arthur slipped his tunic over his head and crept down the chamber steps and through Gaius’ room. In the flickering candlelight Merlin watched as he passed the supine form of the old physician. Arthur had recently taken a liking to sleeping in Merlin’s chambers instead of his own. Merlin surmised it was because he could be Arthur here. In his own luxurious chamber he was the crown Prince of Camelot. Merlin also watched Gaius opened one eye, frown at Arthur, glance in Merlin's direction then roll over.

***

   ‘MER-LIN.’ Gaius’ voice bounced off the walls of Merlin’s chamber.

   Merlin awoke with a shiver. It was a mid-summer’s morning but there was still a definite chill in his room. His very first thought was Arthur, quickly followed by his second which was the fact that Gaius was raging outside…

   ‘Get your LA-ZY backside out here. MER-LIN…’

   Merlin groaned and untangled his coltish limbs from the sheets. He emerged bleary-eyed from his chambers and had chosen a too-small blanket to wrap around his naked frame. Gaius was glaring at him, none too kindly Merlin thought, with his arms crossed and tapping his foot.

   ‘What?’ Merlin muttered. Though he knew the answer.

   ‘You’ve overslept.’

   ‘Um’

   ‘Up half the night were we?’

   ‘Erm.’

   ‘Well?’

   ‘I wouldn’t say half…’

   Gaius threw up his hands and span on the spot, ‘It’s all very well staying up and…’ Gaius paused ‘…entertaining. But I need you on your toes this morning.’ he pointed at a large table in the middle of the room.

   ‘I wasn’t… erm…’ Merlin broke off and decided better of it. Gaius never mentioned his fledging relationship with Arthur but Merlin had a strong feeling he didn’t approve. He tried instead to focus on the table.

   Lying on his back was a man who looked very sick indeed. His hands hung lifeless over the edges of the table. His hair was the colour of ash and frizzy like an unravelled rope. His eyes were wide, glazed and motionless and a slate-grey pallor had spread across his face like a fog.  

   As Merlin approached the man he sighed and a long frothy wisp drifted out of his mouth and evaporated.

   ‘Stay away,’ Gaius warned ‘I haven’t decided whether it is contagious or not yet, he is the first case I’ve seen.’

   Merlin took a step back. ‘He looks cursed to me.’

   ‘Yes my thoughts exactly.’ Gaius lifted an eyebrow, and as he did the door to his chamber flung open, it rocked on its hinges as Sir Leon ran in.

   ‘Gaius,’ he panted ‘there’s more of them, more people who look like him,’ he pointed to the man on the table. Leon caught his breath and stared at Merlin, who, from the exposed limbs and slender shoulders, was quite obviously naked under the small blanket. Merlin felt his cheeks flush.

   Gaius blew out a long breath. ‘For God’s sake Merlin, get dressed. We’ve got work to do.’

***

   By the end of the morning they had walked the length and breadth of Camelot and seen nearly twelve cases of the unknown disease, everyone resembling the man in Gaius’ chambers. They were now stood in the Great Hall with the King demanding answers.

   ‘I believe it to be contagious My Lord,’ Gaius moved towards Uther with his hands clasped across his chest, ‘I also believe it to be the result of… sorcery.’ he emphasised the last word.

   Uther ran his hand through his hair. ‘Who?’

   ‘All the victims have the same distinctive look. I think the grey sorcerer Brume is responsible.’ Gaius looked over at Arthur who was standing silently behind his father. ‘Arthur did kill his son.’

   ‘In self-defence,’ Arthur said in way of argument.

   Uther turned ‘Arthur, take some Knights, go to his land and stop this sorcerer.’

   Arthur nodded at Gwaine and Leon; with Merlin in tow they left the room.

***

   Brune’s realm lay beyond Camelot’s lands, way over to the East. The four men knew they had to ride through the icy waters of the cloudburst waterfall and into the caves beyond to reach it. Arthur and Merlin rode side by side, as they always tended to do.

   Merlin leaned towards Arthur’s horse and pursed his lips. ‘Want to stay with me again tonight?’

   ‘Merlin… we’re on a serious quest, a quest to rid Camelot of a sickness. Get your mind out of the gutter.’

   ‘Sorry Sire.’

   Arthur re-adjusted his weight on the saddle before saying, ‘but, yes… yes I do.’

   Merlin smiled and felt more than a little puffed up. He knew they’d had the conversation within earshot of the two Knights and Arthur didn’t seem bothered.

   They rode through the afternoon and as they approached the shores of the lake a cold, dewy sensation clung against their skin. There was little movement in the air as they rode through the misty shallows, heading for the waterfall. They halted before they went through.

   ‘I’ll go first.’ Arthur pressed his horse on.

   He passed through the icy torrent and took a sharp intake of breath as the freezing water ran down his body. He urged his horse to move faster. Merlin and then the Knights rode through the fall, each making their own verbal protest at the bitter waters. The cave behind the fall had holes in the high vaulted roof allowing in some guiding light.

   Arthur shivered, ‘Let’s move, we’ll be back out into the sun soon.’ Rivets of water were tracing meandering tracks off the Prince’s hair and down his face and neck. Droplets hung on his eyelashes and his mouth was moist and parted.

   ‘Stop staring. There’s a time and a place.’ Leon poked Merlin in the ribs and grinned.

   ‘Owww.’ Merlin pushed his wet hair out of his eyes ‘I wasn’t.’ But, he knew he was. He wondered what Leon thought about his relationship with the Prince. The Knights were just too _knightly_ to say anything to Arthur or himself. Did Leon think he was just Arthur’s casual lay or did he know he was much more than that?

   Each man in turn urged their horse through the grey dust on the cavern floor. They exited the cave, not into the sun as expected but into a bone chilling mist. They stopped. They’d entered a worn-out land, you could only see faded shapes of trees and a faded horizon as the mist swirled around them. The path in front of them snaked into invisibility.

   ‘Merlin, stop it,’ Arthur growled.

   ‘What?’

   ‘Your teeth chattering, I can’t think straight.’

   Merlin looked at his Prince ‘Arthur, are you ok? You look, um… grey.’

   Arthur ignored him and pushed on. With thanks to the never-ending fog Brume’s castle loomed as a surprise out of the haze. The citadel was a large dirty slate tower which sat in a halo of mucky smog. Merlin pulled his horse next to Arthur’s and shuddered. Arthur was now very grey. There was a smoky tinge to his brilliant blue eyes and hoary streaks in his blonde hair. Merlin jumped off his horse and ran to catch Arthur as he slid sideways off his.

   ‘Arthur… you’re sick.’

   ‘No, I’m fine.’ Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s neck and struggled to stand.

   ‘No, you’re not,’ Gwaine replied and wrapped a blanket around Arthur’s shoulders. ‘We’ll go and deal with the Brume.’

   ‘I’m… erm… ok.’

   ‘You’re not.’ Merlin laid a bedroll on the ground and gently lay Arthur onto it. He grumbled something in-coherent and tried to force himself back up. ‘Lay still.’ Merlin said as he proceeded to remove Arthur’s cape, vambrace and chainmail.

   ‘What… are you doing?’

   ‘Brume’s never met you… so I’ll take your place.’

   ‘No, Merlin,’ Arthur gave him a pained stare. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

   ‘It could work, My Lord. We need Brume to think he’s talking to the Prince of Camelot. We need him to think he’s talking to the man who killed his son.’ Gwaine unsheathed his sword.

   ‘I forbid it.’

   ‘When have I ever listened to you?’ Merlin smiled at Arthur but hidden in his smile was fear.

   Merlin quickly put on Arthur’s armour. Arthur shook his head at him. His armour was too big on his servant’s narrow frame and it was clear he found it heavy from the way he was leaning to the left. Merlin fastened the sword belt around his waist and knelt down next to his Prince. He placed his mouth close to his ear. ‘You’ll be fucking me again in no time Sire,’ he murmured.

   Arthur gave a long groan and passed out.

   Merlin made him comfortable before the three men crossed a drawbridge and into the forbidding looking tower. They walked past crumbling statues, warriors from long ago. A man, who looked as old as the statues, opened a large oak door. ‘This way,’ he said ‘you’ve been expected.’ he led them into a square room with no windows, decoration or furniture. Merlin presumed it was the throne room, and a depressing one at that. A rolling mist on the floor obscured their ankles and the room smelt of the sea. At the far end sat the sorcerer Brume.

   Merlin bowed, ‘Prince Arthur at your service, we come in peace, we only wish to lift the curse on Camelot.’ He lifted his head and considered the sorcerer. He was older than Merlin had expected, with an ashen pallor and long greying hair and beard. He was dressed in robes the same colour as the room and if Merlin squinted he almost disappeared into the background. Brume was sat on a knottily carved granite throne and in his hand was a grey-blue glass ball that he was spinning around and around in his palm.

   There was an image of the Camelot’s citadel in the orb, its pale stones surrounded by swirling mists. The image changed to Gaius moving in and amongst the sick and dying. Then it changed back again to the citadel. Merlin knew if he could destroy the glass ball the curse on Camelot would be lifted.

   ‘You are not the Prince, you are his serving boy.’ For his age, Brume’s voice was as sharp as cut-glass. ‘Well, you are more than his serving boy… in many ways.’

   Leon moved forward with his hand on the hilt of his sword. ‘That’s as maybe but we still wish to discuss the lifting of the curse.’

   ‘It is my revenge, it will not be lifted. Now where is the Prince?’

   Leon straightened his sword along his eye level. ‘We wish to do this peacefully, but if you leave us no choice…’

   Brume’s grey eyes burned white and he flicked his head, Leon was air punched backwards across the room. He landed heavily and blacked out. Gwaine charged at Brume, his sword arm coiled and ready. He too was rewarded with a punch into the air. He too blacked out.

   Merlin turned on the sorcerer, his expression tight.

   ‘I know who you are Emrys,’ Brume said.

   ‘Then you’ll know not to mess with me, especially when it concerns Arthur.’ Merlin’s body stiffened. He raised his hand in preparation.

   Brume muttered an incantation and moved towards Merlin with a surprising turn of speed.

   But Merlin was quicker _‘Four-let-ath may aah’_ he cried. The sorcerer halted, frozen forever in his tracks becoming another grey statue in the castle. With his chest heaving Merlin took a step towards Brume. Hesitated, and then reached out for the ball. He needed some force to remove it from Brume’s hand. He hurled it against the nearest wall and it shattered into a thousand shards, each one with a tiny fragment of Camelot or Gaius in it.

   The two knights groaned. ‘What the hell?’ Gwaine screwed his face up.

   ‘Run,’ Merlin shouted and they fled the tower.

   They found Arthur where they’d left him. But, now he was stood up and looking more like his old self.

   ‘You did it then?’ he said.

   Merlin was out of breath. Carrying the weight of the armour and a long trippy-up cape was not helping matters. ‘Yes,’ he puffed. Arthur slapped him on the back, the action only served to overbalance Merlin and he landed in a heap on the floor.

   ‘So… _you_ defeated the sorcerer?’ Arthur frowned at the tangle of long limbs and armour at his feet.

***

   They rode back through the hazy land, into the caves behind the fall and through the icy water. Arthur reined in his horse on the shoreline of the misty lake. Dusk was falling but there was still enough time to ride home before dark.

   ‘We’ll see you back in Camelot, report back to my Father that Brume has been defeated,’ Arthur directed towards Leon and Gwaine.

   Gwaine glanced at Leon. ‘What do we say when he asks where you are?’

   Arthur slid off his horse ‘Tell him… I’ve been detained…’ he looked over at Merlin. Merlin’s cheeks burned brighter than the Knight’s capes as he pretended to examine his fingers.

   The conversation didn’t need to go any further. The Knights grinned and spurred their horses into a gallop. Arthur and Merlin were left alone at the side of the lake.

   Arthur pulled Merlin off his horse and stood in his space. ‘How _did_ you defeat Brume?’

   ‘I don’t know… um… his spell must have backfired. Lucky, I guess.’ Merlin always enjoyed Arthur invading his personal space. He liked been so close that he could feel his body heat and listen to his steady breaths.

   ‘You did well.’ Arthur studied him like he’d never seen him before.

   The sky shifted from blue to copper above them as Arthur bunched his fist in Merlin’s wet tunic and pulled him in. Merlin knew what was coming. He knew what Arthur wanted and it made him feel like a broken stick in his arms.

   Arthur kissed a hot line up Merlin’s throat. ‘Fucking me in no time, Eh? Isn’t that what you said?’ he murmured.

   ‘Yes, My Lord,’ Merlin rumbled as he surrendered.

   Arthur fixed his eyes onto Merlin’s and slowly ran his tongue across his lips. He lowered his tone, ‘Where are the bedrolls?’

   ‘I’ll…’ Merlin’s voice cracked ‘…get them.’ He felt quite light-headed as he set the bedrolls out under an oak canopy. These were the precious times he lived for. Time with his once and future King. Time with his destiny.

   ‘Merlin…’ Arthur’s voice broke him from his reverie. He turned.

   Arthur was naked and wanting. The years of training showed in every firm contour, the ripple of muscle on his stomach and the hard curvy butt all came together to make Merlin silently place his palms together and thanked the Lord.  He wrenched off his jacket and flung it to one side. He walked towards Arthur undoing his neckerchief as he went, he discarded it. He arrived in Arthur’s space with his tunic in hand. Arthur took it off him and flung it over his shoulder. Merlin tied his fingers in a knot behind Arthur’s neck and kissed him, a long hard passionate kiss. He probed with his tongue, desperate for possession of the Prince’s mouth. Arthur allowed him in and gave a throaty groan as Merlin pressed deeper. Arthur tugged at the laces on Merlin’s breeches. They dropped… and stopped at his warm socks and boots.

   ‘Mer-,’ Arthur grumbled with a mouth full of Merlin.

   ‘Um?’ Merlin mumbled back.

   ‘Bo-ots.’

   Merlin kicked off his boots with ease, he never fastened them properly. He then flicked off his socks with his thumb. All the while his mouth never relinquished its place on Arthur’s. He felt hands slip down his back and settle on his hipbones. It only took one decent shove on Arthur’s part and Merlin was over and on his back. Arthur dropped down next to him. The weak light of the moon reflected off the cool mist that clung to their skin as Arthur slipped his hips over Merlin’s and preceded to grind him into the floor.

   Merlin tipped his face towards the star-filled sky and gasped as Arthur sucked little bites down his throat and onto his collarbones. _Good God_ Merlin loved it when he marked him. He loved it when Arthur made it clear that he was his. Merlin felt like he was nothing but a husk been blown along on a wind of pleasure.

   Arthur knelt up between Merlin’s thighs and ran his hands down his torso. He paused to tangle his fingers in the dark curls on Merlin’s chest before wandering them down until he reached his knees. He lifted Merlin’s legs up onto his shoulders. Merlin’s heart was beating out a full euphony and his mouth had dried up as Arthur eyed him. He reached around and brought back a small phial of oil.

   Merlin’s mouth fell open. ‘Where the _hell_ were you hiding that?’

   ‘Ah. Wouldn’t you like to know… ’

   ‘Actually, yes. Always carry oil with you do you?’

   ‘Maybe…’ Arthur gave Merlin a wicked wink.

   Merlin hissed loudly through his teeth as the oil was applied by cold fingers. Arthur took hold of his waist and, without taking his eyes off Merlin’s, he pushed into him. Merlin cried out and arched into his Prince.

   Arthur gave a long guttural moan and paused, his breaths coming in quick succession. He pushed again, this time folding Merlin in two like the leaves of a book. He leaned over and with hunger in his eyes he seized Merlin’s mouth in his. Fervent kisses and growls followed every thrust. Arthur built up a rocking rhythm. He thrust, folded Merlin in two and captured his mouth. He repeated until Merlin was in delirious toe-curling ecstasy.

   His begging cries for release rang out across the lake. ‘Now. Arthur. Ple-ase.’

   Arthur gave a grating moan and leaned in. Merlin was right on the brink, tipping over the edge. And judging by the look on Arthur’s face, so was he. The friction between them was enough for Merlin and they came together calling out nonsense words into the night air.

***

   The dust motes span in the shafts of early sunlight as Gaius pushed open the door to Merlin’s chamber.

   ‘Merlin, you in here?’ he called before fully entering the room.

   Merlin’s head was under the covers, his face nestled into the warm neck of the Prince of Camelot.

   Gaius cleared his throat. ‘Uther is asking for Arthur…’

   Arthur and Merlin both stuck their heads above the covers and looked sheepishly at Gaius.

   Gaius sighed and shook his head in resignation. ‘Come on… I’ve made breakfast,’ he said.

 


End file.
